In this video from The Nation and On The Earth Productions, ecologist David Holmgren traces the path of permaculture from its roots in the 1970s to its potential, in the future, to reshape how humans interact with the planet. He explains how its premise—working with nature rather than against it—will help us adapt to and survive in a resource-scarce world. Visit On The Earth Productions for the full interview.

—Elizabeth Whitman (Nation)

Short version (5:29 minutes). The first part of the longer interview . Describes permaculture and energy descent.